Crookston, Minn. -- Minnesota Crookston gave the top team in the NSIC all they could handle on Saturday afternoon in NSIC men's basketball action, but Luke Winkel scored 30 points for St. Cloud State to avoid the upset, 80-78.

Minnesota Crookston falls to 4-18.

It was an early look at things to come, as Winkel would bury a three on the Huskies first possession, but Brady Westphal (Fr., G, West Fargo, N.D.) would answer with a left corner three to tie the game up at three.

SCSU would later extend their lead to 13-5, but Alijah Washington (R-Jr., G, San Jose, Calif.) would answer with a bucket to cut the deficit to 13-7.

SCSU would take their largest lead of the game up until that point at 23-13, but the Golden Eagles would answer with seven in a row, capped off by a Owen Chervestad (Fr., G, Oklee, Minn.) layup. That would be the start of a career night for Chervestad.

Late in the half, SCSU would take a 14 point advantage, but the Golden Eagles would finish the half on a 5-0 run to trail by just nine following the first 20.

The second half would prove to be a thrilling one.

The Huskies would take an 11 point lead early on, but Kazadi Mukoma, Jr., (Jr., F, Grand Island, Neb.) would connect on a three to cut the lead to eight, once again.

Eight minutes into the second half, the Golden Eagles would cut the lead to just three following buckets from Spencer Swenson (Fr., F, Sauk Rapids, Minn.) and Mukoma, Jr.

It looked like the Huskies were about to pull away, taking a 62-53 lead, but the youngsters for the Golden Eagles would get them right back into the game with a 9-0 run. Donez Lindsey (Fr., G, Stockton, Calif.) and Brayden Carlson (So., C, Woodbury, Minn.) would score on back-to-back possessions and Chervestad would connect on his first career three to cut the Huskies advantage to 62-60. Swenson would tie the game at 62.

With 3:13 left, another Carlson layup would cut the deficit to two, but Winkel would bury a three with the shot clock going down to once again extend the lead to five.

Minnesota Crookston would cut the lead to two with three seconds left, but SCSU would escape with a two point win.

Swenson was fantastic once again, being reinserted into the starting lineup. The freshman finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and two assists. It's the third double-double of his young career. Mukoma, Jr., and Washington added 14 and 12, respectively, off the bench, while Chervestad was a perfect 4-4 from the field and finished with a career-high nine points and five rebounds.

Minnesota Crookston will head on the road next weekend starting on Thursday at Northern State for a 7:30 PM tip from Wachs Arena.